Pumpkin patch brownies are fudgy box-mix brownies topped with a smooth chocolate ganache, crushed Oreo dirt, and candy pumpkins sitting on piped green icing vines. No one will know they started with a box.
These are the brownies I make for Halloween when the kids want to help. Crush the Oreos. Pipe the green icing rows. Place the pumpkins. The hardest part is waiting for the ganache to set.
Why These Pumpkin Patch Brownies Work
Box mix brownies keep it easy. The topping does the heavy lifting. Use a fudgy brownie mix and do not overbake it. You want dense and chewy underneath the ganache, not cakey. Underbake by a minute or two if your box directions give a range.
Chocolate ganache is two ingredients. Heavy cream heated until just bubbling, poured over semisweet chocolate chips, left to sit for a few minutes, then whisked smooth. It sets up shiny and firm. No powdered sugar. No butter. Just cream and chocolate.
Oreo dirt looks real. Thirteen Oreos in a food processor until they look like dark soil. Spread them across the ganache while it is still slightly warm so the crumbs stick. Press lightly.
Green cookie icing makes the rows. Draw thin green lines across the Oreo dirt to look like garden rows in a pumpkin patch. Space them out so each row gets a pumpkin or two.
Candy pumpkins on top. Space them so every brownie square gets one. Press them gently into the icing so they stay put when you slice.
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How to Make Pumpkin Patch Brownies
Preheat the oven and prepare a 9-inch square pan. Line it with parchment paper, leaving a two-inch overhang on the sides, or grease the bottom and sides with cooking spray.
Bake the brownies according to the box directions. Underbake by a minute or two so the brownies stay fudgy. Let them cool completely in the pan before lifting them out.
Make the Oreo dirt. Add about 13 Oreo cookies to a food processor and blend until they are fine crumbs that look like dark soil. Set aside.
Make the ganache. Heat the heavy cream on the stovetop until it just begins to boil. Remove it from the heat. Add the semisweet chocolate chips and let it sit for a few minutes. Whisk until smooth. Let the ganache cool slightly so it thickens but is still pourable.
Pour the ganache evenly over the cooled brownies. Spread it to the edges.
Sprinkle the Oreo crumbs on top of the ganache while it is still slightly warm. Gently press down so the crumbs stick.
Use green cookie icing to draw thin green lines across the Oreo dirt to look like garden rows. Place the candy pumpkins on top of the green lines, spacing them so every brownie square will have a pumpkin.
Let the ganache set completely before slicing. Refrigerate to speed it up.
Quick Tips
- Let the ganache cool slightly before pouring. Hot ganache is too thin and runs off the sides.
- Press the Oreo crumbs in gently while the ganache is still tacky. If the ganache sets completely, the crumbs roll right off.
- Space the pumpkins evenly. Count your squares and place one pumpkin per square before you slice.
- Refrigerate to set the ganache faster. Fifteen minutes in the fridge and you are ready to cut.
- Underbake the brownies by a minute or two. Fudgy brownies hold up better under the ganache.
Make Ahead and Storage
Store the brownies in the refrigerator since the ganache needs to stay firm. They keep for up to five days in an airtight container. Let them sit at room temperature for ten minutes before serving if you want the brownie softer.
Chocolate frosting works instead of ganache. If you swap it in, the brownies can stay at room temperature on the counter.
More Halloween Recipes
For more Halloween treats, try my Oreo Halloween cookies with candy eyeballs and M&M's. My pumpkin and chocolate chip bread is another fall baking favorite.
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📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Patch Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1 box brownie mix + ingredients to make brownies
- green cookie icing
- 13 Oreo cookies - crumbled
- 5 ounces candy pumpkins
Chocolate ganache
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and line a 9-inch square pan with a two-inch overhang or use a cooking spray to grease the bottom and sides of the pan.
- Bake the brownies according to the box directions in a 9x9 pan. You want the brownies to be fudgy and dry and crumbly.
- Allow the brownies to completely cool in the pan before lifting them out of the pan.
- Make Oreo crumbs by adding about 13 Oreo cookies in a food processor and blending them to make Oreo dirt.
- To make the chocolate ganache, heat the heavy cream on the stovetop until it is just beginning to boil and remove it from the heat.
- Add the chocolate chips to the heavy cream and let it sit for a few minutes.
- Whisk the ganache mixture until it is smooth and allow it to cool slightly before pouring it evenly over the top of the brownie.
- Sprinkle the Oreo crumbs on top of the frosting and gently press down into the ganache so the Oreo crumbs will stick.
- Next, use green cookie icing to draw small green lines to resemble garden rows before placing your candy pumpkins on top of the brownies.
Notes
- Underbake the brownies slightly so they stay fudgy under the ganache.
- Let the ganache cool a bit before pouring or it runs off. Press Oreo crumbs in while the ganache is still tacky.
- Space candy pumpkins so every brownie square gets one.
- Store in the refrigerator since ganache is used.
- Chocolate frosting can replace ganache - no refrigeration needed.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate based on third-party calculations. Actual values may vary due to ingredients, measurements, and serving sizes.
© Mama Needs Cake
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